History

History is the study of past events in human society, the changes that occurred, and their causes. It works with sources—written records, documents, oral accounts, and physical artifacts. The term also refers to the events themselves, not merely to the discipline of studying them.

A person who works in this field is called a historian. The work begins with gathering sources, then formulating clear questions, and finally producing explanations that interpret what the sources reveal. The resulting account can always be revised when new sources emerge.

Sources and their classification

Sources are commonly divided into two types. Primary sources are those that date from the period under study: letters, agreements, business accounts, inscriptions on stone, and eyewitness accounts. Secondary sources are writings that analyze or summarize primary sources. Historians test sources by asking: who wrote it, when, what was their purpose, and do other sources corroborate it.

The history of writing and what came before

When discussing the period before writing, historians rely on archaeology, linguistics, and fossil analysis. This period is sometimes called prehistory. Once writing appears—beginning with texts from Mesopotamia and Egypt—it became possible to know names, laws, and numerical records.

Method and criticism

Historical method rests on criticism from two angles: external criticism, which verifies that a document is genuine and not forged, and internal criticism, which examines whether what is written in it is accurate. Historians also examine whether sources have a bias they favor and look for corroborating evidence.

Fields and dimensions

History is divided in many ways: by region (the history of Africa, Asia), by period (centuries or eras), and by subject—the history of economics, society, thought, gender, and health. There is also oral history (taariikh afafeed), based on interviews and narratives passed down, which is particularly important in societies with limited writing traditions.